Week #27 (12/5 & 8)

We hope your Thanksgiving was as fun and tasty as ours. Polly has posted a blog post to our web site featuring some of the dishes we made from the veggie lineup from your double basket. Check it out for some good ideas for using this season’s bounty. Our December schedule will be as follows: Double baskets on 12/12 & 19; skip deliveries on 12/26 & 1/2; resume normal deliveries on 1/09. This info is also posted on the home page of our web site.

The long warm fall (we finally had our first frost last night almost two months later than normal!) has meant that some crops like broccoli that normally would have been frozen out by now are still being harvested. Other crops like cabbage and cauliflower have continued to grow and are quite impressive. These are a couple of our favorite cabbage recipes.

BUTTERED SMOTHERED CABBAGE

1 small cabbage

2 Tbs. ghee or light veg. Oil

1 ½ tsp. cumin seeds

¼ tsp. asafetida (optional)

¼ tsp turmeric

1 Tbs. Finely chopped fresh ginger

1 cup chopped tomato

2 green chilies, minced or ¼ tsp. red pepper

2 tsp. kosher salt

1-2 Tbs. chopped cilantro

Cut the cabbage into quarters, remove core and shred into ¼ inch thick shreds. Heat ghee or oil over medium high heat in a large heavy bottomed pan. When the ghee is hot, add cumin. When cumin turns dark brown (10-15 seconds), add ground asafetida and immediately add cabbage. Sprinkle turmeric over cabbage and sauté, turning and tossing rapidly, until cabbage is wilted (5 minutes). Add ginger, tomato, and chilies and continue cooking for an additional 5 minutes. Add salt and 1 cup of hot water. Reduce heat to medium low and cook the cabbage, covered until it is tender and the water is absorbed (20 minutes). Check and stir often while it is cooking to prevent burning. Fold in cilantro, check for salt and serve.

ORIENTAL CHICKEN SALAD

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

½ cup thinly sliced onion

3 Tbs cider vinegar

2 Tbs sesame seeds

1 head cabbage

1/3 cup cilantro

2/3 cup fresh mint

2 Tbs roasted unsalted peanuts

3 Tbs sweet and sour fish sauce

In a 5-qt saucepan, bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Add chicken and when water returns to a boil, cover the pan and remove from heat. Let stand until chicken is white in the thickest part (cut to check). This should take 12-15 minutes. Combine onion and vinegar and let stand 15 minutes. In a heavy frying pan, stir sesame seeds until golden brown. Remove from pan. Shred chicken by hand. Shred enough cabbage to make 6 cups. Drain the onions and combine in a large bowl with chicken, cabbage, onion, cilantro and mint. Add peanuts, sesame seeds and fish sauce and mix well. Makes 4-6servings.

Cauliflower is amazingly versatile veggie that is coming into its own of late. It is easy to find recipes for cauliflower mash or riced cauliflower on the internet. This is just about our favorite way to serve cauliflower.

CAULIFLOWER GRATIN WITH GRUYERE AND HAZELNUTS

1 medium cauliflower

Salt and freshly ground pepper

½ cup crème fraiche (see note)

¾ c. shredded gruyere cheese

3 Tbsp. bread crumbs

3 Tbsp. hazelnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped

2 Tbsp. flat parsley for garnish

Butter a 2-quart baking dish or gratin pan. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut cauliflower into small florets. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt generously. Add cauliflower florets to pot and cook until tender, but not mushy, about 5 minutes. Drain florets and pat dry with a kitchen towel. Toss cauliflower with crème fraiche and half the cheese in the prepared baking dish. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle remaining cheese over cauliflower, then top with bread crumbs and hazelnuts. Bake on center rack until cheese has melted and bread crumbs and nuts are golden, 20-25 minutes or more. Garnish with parsley. Serves 5 or 6. Note: you can make crème fraiche by whisking 1 cup whipping cream with 1/3 c. sour cream in a nonreactive bowl. Let stand at room temperature until thickened, 6 hours or longer; then cover and refrigerate. Makes about 1 1/3 cups. From Foodday.